ADP Update: High Expectations for Welker

For the past three seasons, Wes Welker has been a reception machine for the Patriots. His touchdowns may be few, but he's averaged 115 catches and 1,229 yards since joining New England.

His torn ACL and MCL at the end of last season had many people skeptical of a timely and fully healthy return for 2010. As a result, Welker was being drafted in the sixth round back in April, and his replacement, Julian Edelman, was being taken just a few draft picks after him.

However, as a continuous stream of good news of Welker's recovery has come out of Foxboro, Welker and Edelmans' ADP have slowly drifted apart, as shown in the graph below for 12-team, non-PPR leagues:

Welker is now being drafted at 4.03, and Edelman has plummetted to 10.03.

Welker has risen nearly back to his 2009 ADP, where he was being drafted in the mid-third round at 3.07. Although he doesn't appear to be back to 100% yet, he's now being drafted as if he will be when Week 1 rolls around.

If you were hoping that you could snag him at a discount later in the draft while others were scared off by his injury, you're too late. You'll have to pay full price to get him in your draft this year.